130948: Is giving gifts on Eid an innovation (bid‘ah)?

Is it permissible to give my family members some gifts on Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, and to do that every year, or is it an innovation (bid‘ah)?

Published Date: 2012-08-07

Praise be to
Allah.

There is
nothing wrong with giving gifts on Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to family and relatives, because these are days of joy
and happiness on which it is mustahabb to uphold
ties, show kindness, and eat and drink plenty. This is not bid‘ah;
rather it is something that is permissible and a good custom that is one of the
symbols of Eid. Hence it is not allowed to give gifts
and express joy and happiness on innovated occasions on which it is not
prescribed to celebrate, such as New Year, the Mawlid
(Prophet’s birthday) and the fifteenth of Sha‘baan (an-nusf min Sha‘baan), because
this makes them like Eids.

Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: On
this Eid people also exchange gifts, i.e., they make
food and invite one another to come and eat, and they get together and
celebrate. There is nothing wrong with this custom because these are days of Eid. When Abu Bakr (may Allah be
pleased with him) entered the house of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) and found with him two young girls who were singing
on the days of Eid, he rebuked them, but the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Let them be.” And he did not
say it because they were young girls. Rather he said: “Let them be, for these
are the days of Eid.”

This indicates
that Islam, with its tolerant and easy-going attitude, allows people to express
joy and happiness on the days of Eid.

End quote from
Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Uthaymeen, 16/276

And he (may
Allah have mercy on him) said:

It is well
known that there are no festivals in Islam except those which are proven in sharee‘ah, namely Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Ahda, and Friday which is the weekly “Eid”.
As for the fifteenth of Sha‘baan (an-nusf min Sha‘baan), there is no
proof in Islam is that it is an Eid. If it is taken
as an occasion on which charity is distributed or gifts are given to neighbours, then this is taking it as an Eid.

End quote from
Fataawa Noor ‘ala
ad-Darb

And he said
concerning Mother’s Day: Once this is understood, it is not permissible, on the
occasion mentioned in your question, which is called Mother’s Day, to introduce
any of the symbols of Eid on this day, such as
expressing joy and happiness, giving gifts, and so on.